Target wadcutter
Full charge wadcutter
FBI load (any brand)
Federal 130 HST
Remington 125 Gold Saber
Speer 135 Gold Dot
Winchester 130 PDX
Winchester 130 Ranger
Winchester Train & Defend
Other
I doubt there would be "shaving", but it seems possible to rub oxides or surface lead off to some degree on the cloth. Ive not heard anything for or against that as a source of lead exposure.Originally Posted by Ghost Dog
It may be possible to give the exposed lead a coat of clear nail polish or similar to coat them, no idea how long it would last.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
I typed a response earlier, but that was during the "dead zone" time.
I don't expect the FBI load I carry in my longer-barrel revolvers to expand from the 1-7/8" barrel of my M49, so I carry wadcutters in it. I use the RNLs in the speed strip and speedloader because 1) they reload quickly and 2) gel testing shows that they often tumble after impact, increasing their effectiveness. I don't share your concern about lead exposure but if I did, I'd probably use rounds capped with FMJs, either truncated cone or round nose. If your snubby is regulated for lighter bullets, the generic 130-grain FMJ training ammo from Federal, Remington, and Winchester would work; if it's regulated for 158s like my M49 is, you can find FMJs in that weight from CCI/Blazer, Norma, Magtech, S&B, and probably others that I can't think of off the top of my head.
"Everything in life is really simple, provided you don’t know a f—–g thing about it." - Kevin D. Williamson
One possible solution:
https://underwoodammo.com/38-special...-defense-ammo/
”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB
135 Gold Dot, 130 Ranger Bonded, or my own wadcutter loads (HBWC or coated DEWC). Reloads are strips or comp I's with JHP. Wadcutters in the gun, sometimes, often just roll with the two JHP loads if that's what I have on hand or currently stored with the guns. Mostly a 442... occasionally a 3" Model 60 .357
Woods bumming I'll actually stoke the 3" .357 with real magnums. Social carry, .38 JHP gets the nod.
If that concerns you, there’s ammo using Barnes lead-free bullets.
I observed a test of a Buffalo Bore round fired into clear gel + 4 layers of denim from a Smith 642.
Performance was as good as it gets from a .38.
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...uct_list&c=106
135 Gold Dots.
Except for the model 12s. They get standard pressure 125 Nyclad HP.
IIRC standard pressure 125 Nyclads were good for about 8 inches of penetration if it matters. (Accurate and very nice to shoot though)
I carried Cor Bon DPX in my 642 for a long time. As the recoil became harder to tolerate, I switched to Federal wadcutters.
Yeah, that 110gr standard pressure Critical Defense load does 13" in heavy clothing and opens up to .50. (For whatever reason the hornadyle.com site has gel data whereas hornady.com doesn't.) If we're being realistic about what a .38 can do out of a 2" barrel that seems to be ideal if the gun is regulated for lighter weight bullets.
The light recoil is either a bonus for some people or a must-have for others.
Yeah, it's pretty pleasant from a K-Frame sized gun with a 4" barrel. I don't think I'd argue too much about the results if it got pressed into a "social" roll with that load.
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur."
Disclaimer: I have previously worked in the firearms industry as an engineer. Thoughts and opinions expressed here are mine alone and not those of my prior employers.
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